THE ROLLING STONES Through the Past Darkly RARE ORIG UK 1969 EX++ LP GREAT SOUND

	£		63
	$		83

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be signed and trackable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers 100% reliable service without it.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take longer from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

ANY ITEM or ITEMS TO BE PAID WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF 6 DAYS or they will be cancelled – NO EXCEPTIONS.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion, as will any bidder who cancels a bid. Please only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: THE ROLLING STONES

Album Title: Through the Past Darkly (Big Hits – Vol. 2)

Producer(s): Andrew Loog Oldham, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Miller.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Jumpin’ Jack Flash; Mother’s Little Helper; 2000 Light Years from Home; Let’s Spend the Night Together; You Better Move On; We Love You.

Side 2: Street Fighting Man; She’s a Rainbow; Ruby Tuesday; Dandelion; Sittin’ on a Fence; Honky Tonk Women.

Label & Format: Decca – original wideband unboxed stereo format with matt surfaces with a faint hint of texturing.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only a tiny few, very small fine and faint spindle marks. This beautiful original record appears hardly played and sounds fantastic. A one-owner from new copy and cover protected for many years.

Catalogue Number: SKL 5019

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 137 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: First unboxed issues with the flipbacked hexagonal cover are scarce, especially in better conditions. The cover is very fragile, as is the inner sleeve, many copies are heavily played, often trashed. Later covers even omitted the inside flipbacks and few survive without often major laminate and spine issues.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: XZAL-9067.P-1W / XZAL-9068.P-2W [clearly machine punched as seen]

Mothers / Stampers: 1 BM / 1 UB

Musicians: Mick Jagger – lead vocals, percussion, harmonica; Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, sitar, piano, tambura, mellotron, recorder, organ, backing vocals; Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals, bass guitar; Mick Taylor – guitar; Bill Wyman – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals; Charlie Watts – drums, percussion.

Brief Info: Issued after the tragic death of Brian Jones, this was the follow-up to the 1966 compilation Big Hits – High Tide and Green Grass. More brilliant, slightly later singles, it sold well and peaked at No. 2 in the UK and American album charts. The American version includes different songs. Originally issued in a distinctive, but ultimately fragile hexagonal gatefold cover as here. So never easy to find without (often significant) issues or damage, sometimes not even intact or crudely repaired. The small half size spine often splits and becomes weakened or torn. No issues from that on this one, this fully intact and still strong, just a rub to its top ‘corner’ end. The hexagonal inner sleeve is superb as is the record and it’s sound. One of the finest overall examples I had in ages.

“When this you see, remember me, and bear me in your mind. Let all the world say what they may, speak of me as you find.”

Most will know the brilliant collection of included songs, all heard here in superb stereo, so on to the conditions.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): an octagonal gatefold format with the front and back laminated. The back has the mono/stereo peep-hole, here filled with the blue inner sleeve to denote a stereo copy inside. The inside is matt and smooth with two external flipbacks on the right top and bottom. These were omited from subsequent printings, e.g. the inside become fully smooth. Storage for the record is from the inside against the thin card spine, hence so many are seen damaged or split. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and includes the hexagonal shaped unlined inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: Immensely fragile for obvious reasons, but possibly the most solid and least worn I have seen for some considerable time. This complex 8-sided cover is well-known for having laminate adhesion problems, sometimes seen with large blistering and substantial lifting. Here the laminate is adhered quite well and solid with most of any lifting on the flimsy spine edges. One lift has cracked on the front, but peeling has pretty much been avoided. With due care, all should remain intact indefinitely. Only with scrutiny under light is any minor natural ‘bubbling’ seen, it’s almost as light as it gets on this challenging cover. Both sides retain fine shine, but this laminate is not the deeply glossy type – and laminate does differ considerably – this is still Clarifoil. The lack of card creasing is rarely seen and it remains fully and strongly intact. Given all the facts, both front and back are really impressive as-seen. The unforgiving spine the most secure and solid I have had on an original for ages.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside is in fantastic condition, little short of as-issued. Both flipbacks are solid and undamaged, they are both laminated, so will appear darker than the rest of the unprotected inside card. The perilous entrance area and spine are still very strong and totally undamaged. Both graphic sides unworn and impressive, the lack of creasing very unusual, the front being single thickness card and rarely escapes it.

The Edges: The front, open edges are single thickness, these have fared very well with any thickening minimal and light, traces mostly to the top edge. There are four closed folded edges, all are impressive, that includes the left spine edge that retains all of its text, with no chipping or weakening of the perilous hinge. All the spine laminate solid and uncracked.

Corners: A cover with multiple corners, all of which have barely any rubbing with no knocks. All have survived in near remarkable condition with neat crisp shape mostly retained.

Cover Summary: A difficult and challenging cover, being cover-protected for many years by the one owner means it will prove hard to find better. With far less laminate issues than most found and the spine superb, this flipback version seldom surfaces this nice, it should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR MINT: this was never lined – there are NO adhesion marks inside at all. This blue (for stereo copies) octagonal inner is in stunning condition with the three edges naturally intact – that is correct as room had to be allowed for the record to access. Barely aged and hardly even creased with lovely deep fresh colour retained. Made with very thin paper, this also rarely seen like this. No repairs at all, this often seen in tatters, or even missing altogether. This includes the UK patents applications number text (800513) with ‘Foreign patents pending’. Try finding this fragile inner better.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite heavily pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface traces few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, barely anything even registers. Visually a super record that should please many, if not most collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This magnificent album plays up to and mostly even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Few available copies will outperform this early first pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

I am one of the most established sellers on Ebay, trading since 2001 and offering the finest records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty all elements of the items I offer for sale. You may notice I only submit records quite sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade – visuals alone do not always tell a true story. I will try to mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same – just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. I hope the item below is to your liking – any questions can be emailed and I will do my best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, major warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Nessie vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D7500 DSLR Camera.

PACKING – THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid bid retractions. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I only accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 2 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive – if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund if the item is returned in the same condition is was sent e.g. as per the listing pictures.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.